If you were to live in a world of utter darkness and oblivion how do you think you would fare? This question can be akin to Norman Nordstrom, the blind antagonist of the film, Don’t Breathe, released in 2016 by Fede Alvarez. This character was played by the actor, Stephen Lang. Ultimately, this film both embodied and emphasized the unfathomable capabilities that the blind or visually impaired can develop. In the movie, this was portrayed by the utilization of Norman Nordstrom’s other body senses; particularly hearing, smell, and touch. Theoretically, these particular senses may be described as “enhanced” in those who are visually deterred due to their perpetual dependency on these senses.
Relevantly, research done in Harvard Medical University and Boston University have concluded that this prolonged dependency is what causes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself in order to function normally and efficiently. As a result, this would create a relatively heightened connection with the active sensory information in order to re-compensate for the lack of visual information present in blind people according to novelist and author, Maureen Duffy. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the blind antagonist in the film, Norman Nordstrom, possessed an acute sense of hearing and smell due to his blindness.
Furthermore, there is a multitude of research confirming the various changes indicated in the brain’s of those who have profound vision loss. For instance, images from magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI scanners) conducted on participants who have profound blindness and those who possess normal vision have been shown to reveal significant contrasts in the brain when compared according to Maureen Duffy. Magnetic resonance images show high-quality images of the nervous system (or other body systems) through the use of powerful radio waves and magnetic fields. With this being said, the participants with profound visual loss or impairment were revealed to possess structural, functional, and anatomical neuroplastic connectivity changes in their nervous systems according to lead author and investigator, Corinna M. Bauer, Ph.D. Conclusively, in the brain’s of people with profound blindness, these neurological changes of which were areas associated with smell, touch, and hearing, were more widespread than in the brain’s of people with normal sight when shown on the MRI results.
Nevertheless, this breakthrough is highly and especially relative to those who have profound and prolonged blindness like Norman Nordstrom did in the film in which many years were underwent void of visual information; giving nothing but time for the brain to adapt and create new neural pathways and synapses (in an attempt to cope). However, with training in touch and language along with the autonomic enhancing of the other senses, especially hearing, the likelihood of adaptation in anyone who has profound blindness or develops it is exceptionally high according to senior author, Lotfi Merabet, Ph.D. In relevancy, this is heavily depicted in multiple parts throughout the film that essentially exaggerate Norman’s sense of hearing and smell. Examples include when he was able to pick up on the scent of a distant pair of shoes that was left behind by one of the intruders that had broken into his home. Also parts of the film that emphasized his extremely keen and sensitive hearing. In the image above, you can also see how he uses his sense of touch to pursue his target.
I was aware of the possibility of the heightened senses of one who has an impairment such as blindness. However, the detail you went into in this blog post was extraordinary and helped to paint a new perspective of what actually goes on in someone’s brain when one of their senses is impaired.
JCS,
Thank you so much! I really did try my best in trying to factually and figuratively express the changes that occur in the minds of those with visual impairment!
Thank you for your reply!
The question you propose at the beginning of your post is one that I think about a lot. I think that if I was blind and could only see darkness, I wouldn’t mind, only because I wouldn’t know what sight was. The darkness and using my other senses would be my normal, and to be completely honest if I gained the ability to see, that would be strange, for that’s something I would not be used to. I enjoyed how you used that probing question to demonstrate how everyone’s brains are wired differently, and that’s what makes us unique and special.
Stefanie,
I absolutely adore your comment! I 100% agree with you when you say that living with blindness would be your “normal” because in the event that someone may be born with blindness, it is so true! The “gift” of sight would most definitely be an oddity in that case! This could even work vice versa; where a person who has the ability to see might breakdown in the event that they lost what they once had or in other words, what was once their own normal. I really enjoyed your comment and liked how you gave that perspective!!
I have always heard that people who are blind have their other senses heightened. It is so interesting to finally understand why that is and that it actually impacts the make up of the brain. I really appreciate how you break down complex topics (in this post and the previous post) in a way that the reader can understand. You bring the reader along through your post in a logical way and explain things in a way that a person who is not very familiar with psychology (like me) has a hope of understanding. So thank you! I definitely learned something.
Sarah,
You’re most welcome!! I really do try my best to express and deliver these concepts as I am incredibly passionate about them! Thank you so much for appreciating that and I am so glad that you got some thing from this!!
I really find it crazy that our brain is able to rewire itself to compensate for a lack of seeing. I mean, I still find it hard to believe we’re even able to see in the first place. Somehow our brains learned how to convert the simple light waves with varying wavelengths into the vast multitude of colors we see the world around us in. Our biology is truly astounding.
Zach,
Indeed!! The human brain and mind is truly a blessing as well as an astronomical anomaly! I would definitely mark this particular organ as the most complex as It can do things beyond the confines of our craniums! This is why I am incredibly fascinated with it and all it has to offer. Thank you so much for your reply!
This reminds me of a video I saw about a blind boy who clicked his tongue, and could “see” everything around him, a lot like how bats use echolocation. It’s really fascinating to see how humans and other organisms are able to adapt and overcome certain challenges. Great post!
ANB,
I know exactly what your talking about!! I saw that documentary as well and that is actually one of the findings that inspired me to write about the significance of neuroplasticity!! His brain had a mental capacity that rendered him an incredible gift as a means of adapting to his environment! It was a beautiful and incredible discovery and I am really glad that you brought that up! That is definitely another notion that most of us couldn’t even begin to fathom! Truly incredible!
Thank you for your reply!